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HTC One (M8) Cloned, Now Offers Windows Phone 8.1 Too

By - Source: HTC | B 15 comments

Mobile handset maker HTC revealed the HTC One (M8) for Windows, a new version of the company's flagship smartphone that uses Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 platform instead of Android. The device will be available this Tuesday on Verizon Wireless for $29.99 per month for customers on the Verizon Edge plan or for $99.99 with a new two-year contract (for a limited time).

The HTC One (M8) features a 5-inch Full HD IPS multi-touch screen backed by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801 quad-core chip and 2 GB of RAM. The phone also comes with 16 GB or 32 GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot for adding up to 128 GB of additional storage. The 2,600 mAh battery boasts up to 20 hours of talk time on 3G.

In addition, the phone also comes packed with a 4MP "Duo" camera on the back and a 5MP wide-angle camera on the front, dual-band Wireless AC and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, NFC, an accelerometer, a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a gyro sensor and a barometer. There's also a microUSB 2.0 port that supports mobile high-definition link (MHL), which means that if the phone is plugged into an MHL-compatible HDTV, it will receive a charge while pumping audio and visual feeds to the big screen.

According to HTC, the phone sports an all-metal "unibody design" and a curved back so that it's easier to hold. The original HTC One (M8) shipped with Android 4.4 "KitKat," but this model ditches the robotic operating system for Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1. The phone also includes the company's HTC BlinkFeed, BoomSound, Video Highlights, and more.

"Consumers love the HTC One (M8) and today's introduction extends that enthusiasm to new audiences hungry for choice in their mobile experience," said Jason Mackenzie, president of HTC Americas. "HTC fills a gap in the market for unique devices that put a premium on form and function. Microsoft shares our vision, and that's why we committed to bringing the Windows Phone platform to the HTC One (M8)."

Both the Android and Windows Phone 8.1 models are covered under the HTC Advantage plan that will replace the cracked screen for free. HTC also promises "timely" software updates.

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  • 0 Hide
    red77star , August 19, 2014 11:08 AM
    Problem #1 Exclusive only for Verizon
    Problem #2 Weak Camera
    Makes me wonder how well this will sell considering it has Windows Phone but that's the whole point of it.
  • 3 Hide
    hannibal , August 19, 2014 11:23 AM
    It would be really interesting to see both phone versions in the same test!
    the hardware is the same so only different aspect would be the operation system.
  • 6 Hide
    Innocent_Bystander , August 19, 2014 11:53 AM
    I'll take WP over Android in a heartbeat.
  • Add your comment Display all 15 comments.
  • -1 Hide
    lpedraja2002 , August 19, 2014 12:04 PM
    Wait is Windows Phone even compatible with MHL? Back when I was using a Windows Phone 7 one of my biggest gripe was no HDMI or video mirroring support at that time, hope that has changed.
  • 5 Hide
    kawininjazx , August 19, 2014 12:07 PM
    I am really considering the windows phone, I have a Galaxy S3, it works pretty good but I heard WP is fast.
  • 2 Hide
    dovah-chan , August 19, 2014 12:12 PM
    Quote:
    Problem #1 Exclusive only for Verizon
    Problem #2 Weak Camera
    Makes me wonder how well this will sell considering it has Windows Phone but that's the whole point of it.


    I own an M8 and the camera is wonderful. It might not have the raw amount of pixels backing it like other high end phones do, but I'd take a stable and shake-free image over a phone that requires a tripod to stablize it enough to take a decent picture. The front facing camera is the best I've used as well. I also like that you can change the focus after you take the picture as well.

    The only thing I don't like about the phone is not even with the phone itself. It's the dot view case. It's terrible. It makes the phone nearly unusable for me when its on. I'm thankful its so easy to slip on and off. But jeez its so annoying when I'm using my phone and my hand slips a bit and the case cover flaps over my screen.
  • 0 Hide
    whiteodian , August 19, 2014 2:37 PM
    Work has been offering to buy me phone, but I was holding off. I was thinking this would be the one. Verizon only /cry. We use AT&T.
  • 1 Hide
    falchard , August 19, 2014 3:44 PM
    But its a Windows Phone that is not a Nokia in a beautiful case. I like it.
  • 1 Hide
    Zeroplanetz , August 19, 2014 9:04 PM
    Whiteodian- ATT has stated that they will get it. They just didn't say when. So that means that its only a timed exclusive to Verizon. So id say 3 to 6 months at most.
  • 1 Hide
    apache_lives , August 20, 2014 2:24 AM
    Dumped Android for Windows Phone, never looked back
  • -1 Hide
    ern88 , August 20, 2014 9:29 AM
    So, could you take A One M8 running android and put Windows on it?
  • 0 Hide
    dovah-chan , August 20, 2014 9:35 AM
    Quote:
    So, could you take A One M8 running android and put Windows on it?


    Well that would require first rooting the phone itself (or having an unlocked developer edition).

    Then I'd assume you'd need access to Windows assets and firmware to make the parts compatible with it. There could also be a firmware updates that we don't have access to. Changing operating systems on phones has always been a touchy subject. Although this isn't as dramatic as iOS to android since its on the same hardware set. So its feasible I suppose. On my M8 I am extremely pleased with android and have no intentions of switching to a windows phone.
  • 1 Hide
    ern88 , August 20, 2014 9:41 AM
    Sorry for tripple posting. Stupid work PC!!!
  • 0 Hide
    waethorn , August 21, 2014 12:39 PM
    Quote:
    I am really considering the windows phone, I have a Galaxy S3, it works pretty good but I heard WP is fast.


    WP IS fast. This is why Microsoft didn't bother to support multi-core ARM SoC's until just recently. Android is just slow. The upside is that ARM has accelerated their designs to support quad and octo-core processors, so at least WP can benefit from the extra speed. Android on a quad-core only performs like WP8 on a dual though.
  • 0 Hide
    ayazahmad1 , August 26, 2014 11:57 PM
    Windows Phones perform faster than any other OS phones but I love Android phones more than IOS and than Windows OS.
    I read first about HTC One M8 Windows Phone at http://blog.hafeezcentre.pk/htc-one-m8-windows-phone/.
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